Chapter 77
Pastel sat astride the white broom and watched the clouds.
"Uwa uwa! It must be a good day today! There are many amazing clouds!"
Her finger pointed at clouds.
"That one's shaped like a puppy! That one's shaped like a chick! That one's shaped like cotton!"
Oing.
Pastel's eyes suddenly went round as she spoke.
Huk.
Come to think of it, clouds are originally cotton-shaped.
How could this be!
How could this be...
That wasn't a cotton-shaped cloud but just an ordinary cloud!
Shock.
Pastel opened her mouth in shock. Then she paused and changed her thinking.
Even if it's an ordinary cloud, doesn't it become a cotton-shaped cloud if I call it cotton-shaped?
She pointed at a just ordinary cloud.
"That one's cotton-shaped!"
There are many amazing clouds today!
『Hmm...』
The pink-haired girl sitting astride the white broom enjoyed looking at clouds.
Many people could smile warmly at this peaceful atmosphere.
But looking at the ground, a completely different scene was visible.
"Kuaak!"
Additional glass bottles were thrown and yellow gas burst. Leonard who was enveloped in paralytic gas again screamed.
His body didn't move well since he inhaled the gas while waiting for a fair judge's disqualification declaration. He was being helplessly beaten.
He barely blocked the incoming sword strike with a one-handed shield.
"Dustin you shameless bastard! You rely on biased judging and still call yourself a knight aspirant?!"
Dustin who was pushing the shield with a two-handed sword flinched.
"I didn't want to do this either, but Pastel kept saying we have to protect the student council's honor and clasped my hands and looked at me..."
"Boast about being swayed by a pretty girl's tactics! Why don't you spread rumors around the neighborhood!"
Leonard took advantage of the opening created by verbal provocation and struck the opponent's two-handed sword with his shield. The two-handed sword bounced off and his one-handed sword aimed at the exposed body.
But separate from being a skilled attack, it was a slow movement performed with a paralyzed body.
Dustin lightly stepped back to avoid the sword strike then struck Leonard's thigh with the sword blade.
"Kuak!"
Leonard fell to his knees. He shouted as if screaming.
"Hey! Judge! Is this okay?!"
It was a desperate cry, but that judge was currently lost in another world.
"Waa! That one's really cotton-shaped!"
『Oh, indeed it is. Though it's a type of cumulus cloud, the edges really look like fluttering cotton.』
"Therefore you're Cotton Cloud 2! But since you seem more original than the original, I'll specially call you Cotton Cloud Cloud!"
Hello, Cotton Cloud Cloud!
Uwang!
"You...!"
Leonard's face turned red. He turned his gaze from the shameless judge who didn't even respond and looked around.
He saw a professor awkwardly waiting at the edge of the arena for mediation when matches get heated.
The professor flinched at the intense gaze. As the tournament audience's gazes also focused, he sweated like someone conflicted between conscience and livelihood, then slowly raised both hands.
His hands collided and applause slowly rang out. Then as if his mind adapted, the applause gradually sped up.
"Winner, Dustin Wilder!"
The professor who sold out his conscience spoke with a bright face.
"Excellent skill! According to regulations, combat items not provided by the academy could be prepared at your discretion!"
What?
Leonard's eyes bulged.
"To utilize alchemy knowledge in combat! This is a case highlighting Marquis Your Excellency's foresight in discovering talent by making regulations flexible!"
The professor waved his hand.
"What are you doing! The winner is decided so start the music!"
The waiting musicians began grand music.
When the professor said so and background music blared loudly, the audience cheered anyway.
It was absolutely not because respected Marquis Your Excellency had scattered chicken skewer sets in the audience seats in advance for them to eat while watching.
"Kuaak! Don't brazenly spread bribes with an innocent appearance!"
Leonard clutched his head.
#
I was just staying still!
I really was just staying still!
To think Leonard and Dustin would fight over me!
Uwaa.
Is this the original sin of being popular?
I'm sorry for being too popular...
But but.
I'm curious about the result.
Who will win?
Who's stronger?
Thump thump thump thump.
Thump thump Pastel swung the magic sword. The sword strike hit Dustin's sword. A roar rang out. The sword that couldn't withstand the impact bounced off.
The girl lightly spun. Pink hair fluttered and a roundhouse kick struck Dustin's upper body. The superhuman strength burst a heavy impact sound.
"Kuk-!"
Dustin flew pung outside the arena as if hit by a bomb. His body collided with the temporary wall then collapsed.
Who's stronger?
"Winner, Pastel Love Craft!"
Pastel raised her arms with a bright face.
"Waa! I'm the strongest!"
Puu puu!
I'm the strongest~!
She danced taking light steps.
"Oh yeah! Oh yeah!"
She put the trumpet left in the corridor to her mouth while exiting.
"Puu puu~!"
The victory announcement rang out freshly.
Leonard who was watching in the corridor mocked Dustin who followed dejectedly.
"What's the point of winning."
Dustin looked at Leonard with a deflated face.
Gazes exchanged silently.
Then Leonard slowly stopped mocking as if feeling some camaraderie.
His hand patted Dustin's shoulder.
"You had a hard time too."
Sigh.
#
"As expected, Melissa and Elsior easily defeated the friend friends and ended up facing each other."
Pastel sat astride the broom and swung her legs.
Melissa and Elsior on the ground faced each other at a considerable distance.
Melissa who held a staff in her hand glared at Elsior. It was an appearance faithfully following her mother's advice not to associate with the ill-fated Bellamont.
Elsior brushed back her silver hair then subtly raised the corners of her mouth as if provoking. It was an expression saying she could handle someone like her easily.
Melissa immediately reacted and aimed her staff.
Eeng.
Pastel tilted her head.
"Even though their families are mortal enemies, aren't they getting along quite well?"
The demon was dumbfounded.
『Where on earth does it look that way?』
"Gloomy demon might not know, but friends can become closer by fighting."
Pastel swung both legs.
"It just seems like Elsior doesn't know how to make friends. Like she's clumsy at dealing with friends?"
Deliberately provoking arguments with Melissa whenever they meet is exactly the behavior of a loner who doesn't know how to start conversations gently.
She only knows Melissa so she's happy whenever they meet, but she's not used to talking with peers so only provocation comes out of her mouth.
It's probably been like that since before enrollment, so Melissa seems to be overreacting too.
"Are there no peers in the north?"
『Even if there were, there wouldn't be northern families bold enough to be close with the originally royal princess. Since the north was also royal territory, those families would feel the royal bloodline more strongly.』
"Heeh."
Pastel pondered then clapped with a bright expression.
"Then I should become her close friend!"
Linking arms with blonde Melissa on the right and silver-haired Elsior on the left!
Oing.
Gold bullion and silver bullion?
Pastel's mouth fell open.
Isn't this the best money luck?
A sign of becoming super ultra rich!
I can become rich just by making friends!
『It's starting.』
"Ah."
Pastel focused and looked down at the ground.
The professor announced the start of the match.
Let's observe the combat of apprentice knight-class.
Elsior drew a line on the ground with her spear tip. The arena floor was cleanly cut.
When she stomped her foot, a shockwave burst. Cracks formed on the ground and the impact lifted a huge floor chunk.
The spear shaft struck the rock chunk. A roar rang out. The rock chunk flew like a cannonball towards the magician girl.
Pastel's eyes went round.
"Uwee."
Melissa who finished chanting aimed her staff. Countless light bullets pulverized the huge rock chunk. Light collapsed in succession and flashed.
The situation of Elsior firing ground chunks like cannonballs and Melissa calmly blocking continued.
"Eeyee."
Pastel's hands trembled.
"Pastel who strengthened her body by diligently nom nomming magic stones with the power to consume magic stones has strength to fly like a feather!"
Is this apprentice knight-class?
『That's your misunderstanding. That child doesn't have a superior body to you. To begin with, your body itself isn't human now. What person can tear iron with pure strength?』
The demon snickered.
『Apprentice knight-class who reached a certain level of rank of existence can easily greatly interfere with natural objects. The world itself implements their will in reality. They cut iron with wooden swords and destroy the ground by stomping. That's magic done with weapons.』
Eeng.
"Like how Melissa shoots magic with frail arms and scarecrows explode boom boom? Even though she absolutely couldn't do it barehanded!"
『Right. The world obeys on its own for terrain and objects so they destroy unbelievably well, but it's difficult to interfere with people's will so they have to use all their strength.』
"Wait a moment."
Brain full rotation~
"So, let's say facing someone in iron armor with a wooden sword. You can cut the iron armor in one stroke with the wooden sword, but you can't cut the person's body inside so it just becomes simple hitting?"
『Correct. Because people are independent worlds themselves. Attempting to cut a body with a blunt wooden sword is no different from attempting to cut a small world. Since the opponent doesn't allow it, naturally the result is the same as just hitting with a wooden sword.』
Pastel's eyes spun spin spin.
"If demon suddenly talks about difficult metaphysical things, Pastel can become foolish foolish."
『You'll feel it when you actually clash swords. Even though it looks like that, you're much stronger so if you can just match swords, it's easy to overwhelm with close-range swordsmanship. Even if you can't cut iron, people die if a sword is stuck in their neck anyway.』
What's that.
Pastel crossed her arms while looking down at the scene of rock chunks and light bullets colliding.
Though I don't understand well, does it mean I can try?
Nod nod!
"I believe in demon!"
I'll defeat Elsior and keep the strongest first year title!
『Right.』
Then Pastel spotted a guard in one corner of the audience seats raising a red flag.
It's an emergency signal.
Oing.
She quickly flew over and heard from the guard.
"An unidentified airship is flying here without slowing down. Though we don't know their intentions, there's a high possibility it's for terrorism."
Oh my.